authors

Joss Richard

Joss Richard’s debut novel, It’s Different This Time, was a USA Today bestseller and shortlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2026. She has worked at companies such as Hello Sunshine and Reese’s Book Club, the Walt Disney Company, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Netflix, and Paramount. She’s also the creator and host of Three’s Company, Too: A Rewatch Podcast, and has been formally recognized with a Daytime Emmy Award. Born in Toronto to Filipino immigrant parents, Richard currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

It’s Different This Time

It’s Different This Time is the rich, decadent romance of the year we’ve been waiting for.” –Sarah Adams, New York Times bestselling author of the Rome, Kentucky Series

A twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement—and the unresolved feelings lingering between them.

Reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will, she and her old roommate, Adam Harper, now own the multi-million-dollar property—or at least they will in a month, once all the paperwork is signed.

Four weeks, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

As the autumn leaves fall around them, through shared meals and late-night conversations, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk, but maybe, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves, it could be different this time.

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Let’s Kiss and Tell

A sex columnist and a news reporter realize a fake relationship can help them both professionally and personally—but they aren’t prepared for the real feelings that start to develop beyond the headlines—from the bestselling author of It’s Different This Time.

Lucy Reid is a sex columnist whose views on relationships aren’t exactly optimistic. Instead, she empowers her readers to embrace their sexuality and challenge the belief that you need a partner to be happy. That is, until her editor tells her that their readers are all in relationships . . . and the team thinks it’s time for something (or someone) new. To buy herself time, Lucy impulsively claims she’s just started a new relationship that she can write about. Enter Marshall Oakley.

Marshall Oakley is the new Senior News Writer at Lucy’s company. When the two meet at a work event, Marsh reveals that Julia, his ex of nine years, is getting married, and he needs a plus one to keep his family off his back. They agree to pretend to be in a relationship until the wedding—Lucy will be able to write about finding “the one” only to break up and prove to her readers (and her bosses) that relationships don’t solve everything, and Marshall gets a no-strings date to show off to his friends, family, and his ex.

But as they spend more time together, the lines blur and each begins to reevaluate their previously held views on love. As fear gives way to misunderstandings, can they find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after?

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INSIDER TIP

Get a festival pass and experience more than 50 authors in 41 showcases. The pass pays for itself after just 8 shows.

Festival Shows

Starring Kurt Andersen, Kim Fu, Richard Kelly Kemick, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Joss Richard & Daniel Zomparelli. Hosted by Adrian Todd Zuniga

Oct 16 @ 7:30 PM $25
DJD Dance Centre

Starring Portia Elan, Tayari Jones, Canisia Lubrin, Harriet Alida Lye, Joss Richard & Tanya Talaga. Hosted by Pam Rocker

Oct 17 @ 7:30 PM $25
DJD Dance Centre

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